against the rest of his family. He was aware of the effect of religious prejudices, which he lamented did yet unavoidably exift. In thort. he was convinced thofe men would be more advantageously employed any where than at their own thresholds

Lord Folkeflone made a few obfervations in fupport of what had tallen from Gentlemen on his fide of the House. He particularly touched upon the fact alluded to by Mr. Calcraft, that fome of the offers of service were made four months ago, which he confidered an argument in favour of poftponing the difcuffion; and he took occafion to deprecate the practice of fuffering military bodies to deliberate. The question being loudly called for,

Mr. Secretary Yorke faid a few words in explanation, and the gallery was cleared in expectation of a divifion. The addrefs, however, was carried as originally propofed, without a divifion; and at twelve o'clock the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, MARCH 29.

Mr. Steele reported at the bar, that his Majefty had been waited upon with the addrefs of that Houfe of the preceding day, which his Majefty was pleafed to receive very graciously.

Sir John Newport prefented a petition on behalf of John Ogle, Efq..complaining that John Manners, Efq. had been unduly returned at the laft election for the borough of Hchefter; that by undue means a colourable majority had been obtained for the faid John Manners, to the prejudice of the petitioner, who had the majority of legal votes, &c. Ordered to be taken into confideration on Thursday the 19th of April next.

The Secretary at War brought up the report of the Committee of Supply, which contained a refolutión upon the fubject of the civil lift, which was read and agreed to, and the report ordered to be printed.

Mr. Sheridan called the attention of the Houfe to the fubject of the election for the borough of Lifkeard. He delivered in a declaration on behalf of Thomas Sheridan, Efq. and figned by him in the form required in fuch cafe by the act of Parliament, fignifying that he did not infift on the right of return made on his behalf for the above borough, and tha he should not profecute the claim under fuch return, &c. The natural re

fult

fult of which was, that thirty days were to be given to the electors of this borough to prepare, if they fhall be fo advised, to fupport the return which the candidate declined, he relying on the queftion of merits upon the election.

It was here doubted whether the cafe of Mr. Thomas Sheridan, the candidate, came within the provifions of the aft of Parliament; and upon it a converfation arofe, which ended in an adjournment of the debate until Thurfday.

LOYALTY LOAN.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved there was in the order book a notice, fignifying the intention of an hon. Member of that Houfe to bring forward a fubject which, had before been stated to him'; it was a motion intended to be 'made on behalf of the holders of a loan, ufuaily denominated the loyalty loan.-He must be pardoned for faying, that as he did not before hear, he now read of this notice with a confiderable degree of furprise, because he did not understand it to be the with of Gentlemen concerned on that fubject to bring it forward in that shape, although it had been defired that fome decifion fhould take place upon it previous to the 5th of April. The matter was of importance, and after having confidered the queftion upon the merits, to the best of his power, and having fubmitted to the Attorney and Solicitor General a ftatement of the cafe, their opinion was that the fubfc.ibers to the loan of 1796, were not under the letter, nor apparently within the equitable conftruction of the law made for the regulation of that fubject, entitled to payment of their proportions at par, previous to the 5th of April 1805.

IRISH MILITIA,

The Secretary at War brought up the bill for empowering his Majefty for a time, and to an extent to be limited, to accept of the fervices of fuch part of the militia of Ireland as may voluntarily offer themfeives to serve and to be employed in Great Britain. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Friday fe'nnight, and to be printed.

The bill for the augmentation of the militia of Ireland. to an extent and for a time to be limited was brought up, and read a first time. On the question for the second reading,

Mr. Dent obferved that when a bill was brought in, in confequence of the apprehenfion of an invafion, it was proper the House thould be informed by Ministers, whether in their apprehension

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apprehenfion that event was more probable now than it was a month ago.

The Secretary at War reminded the hon. Gentleman that this was only a bill for providing for the augmentation of the militia force of Ireland.

Mr. Dent faid, it was a bill for providing means to replace a certain military force in Ireland, which was about to be called from thence, on account of the exigencies of the prefent war, and, therefore, his queftion to the Minister was perfectly reasonable. What he wanted to know was, whether Great Britain was in more danger now of invasion than it had been a month ago; and if it was, whether Ireland was not alfo in as great danger as Great Britain, from the fame apprehenfion; for unlefs Great Britain was in greater danger now than it had been a month ago, Minifters would not pretend that the measure was neceffary. If the danger was greater now to this country than it was a month ago, but that danger was equal to Ireland as to this country, then the meafure would be inefficient. He was not fingular in the opinion, that the disappointment would be great indeed, unless the militia of this country made a fimilar offer to Ireland, as the Irish militia did to come here. This was a matter which required fome explanation.

ed.

The Secretary at Iar contended, that the obfervations of the hon. Gentleman had no application to the bill then before the Houfe, which was merely a bill for the augmentation of the militia of Ireland, and the hon. Gentleman had not offer ed any reason why that military force thould not be augmentThe obfervations of the hon. Gentleman feemed to have been intended to apply to another bil which had been difpofed of for the prefent, namely, the bill to empower his Majefty to accept of the fervices of thofe militias of Ireland, who thall voluntarily offer themselves for the fervice of this country. When that fubject came again forward for difcuffion, it would be proper to take notice of the observations of the hon. Gentleman; at prefent they were not in season.

Mr. Dent faid, that although in itrictness this was not the bill to which his obfervations were applicable, yet in point of common fenfe, the observations were not out of season, for this bill was part of the fame fyftem as the other bill.

The Secretary at War moved, that the bill be read a fecond time on Friday fe'nnight.

Mr. Kinnaird objected to that day, on account of its being

the

the fame as that for which the former bill stood; and that both ought not to be difcuffed in one day.

The Secretary at War obferved, that as both the bills were upon the fame fyftein, Gentlemen on the other fide of the Houfe thould not object to the difcuffion of them upon the fame day.

The bill was ordered to be read a fecond time on Friday fe'nnight.

Mr. Calcraft moved an addrefs to his Majefty, that he would be pleased to give directions for laying before the House a lift of the regiments of the Irish militia, who had made voluntary offers of their fervices to be employed in any part of Great Britain during the war, fpecifying the date of each offer, and the number of men, &c. Ordered,

On the third reading of the Irifh militia families bill, Mr. Corry obferved, for the fatisfaction of Gentlemen who took an intereft in this event, and in answer to the objection which had been taken to this meafure, on account of the distance the objects of it were to travel to obtain their allowance, that there were three perfons to which fuch parties had an opportunity of reforting; the treasurer of the county, the collector of the excife, and the collector of the affeffments, &c.; fo that the families of the militia of Ireland had their relief and affiftance as it were at their own door.

The bill was then read a third time, and paffed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved that the Houfe fhould at its rifing adjourn to that day fe'nnight. Ordered.

CAPTURES AT TOULON.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Committee of Supply of the preceding day, refpecting the compenfation to Loid Hood, and the officers and men under his command, for the value of the fhips taken at Toulon in the lait war.

Mr. Calcraft obferved, that Lord Hood had applied to the Lords of his Majefty's Privy Council, who feemed to think that his right was established. The Chancellor of the Exchequer too had at firft fpoken of the grant as a matter of right, but afterwards he thought fit to appeal to the liberality of the Houfe. That was certainly a very noble and a generous feeling, but in fuch times as the prefent, when the country had fuch taxes and other burdens upon its fhoulders, he did not think that it would be right in members to vote away the money of their conftituents upon

claims

claims of liberality only. It would not even, be juftice to themfelves, who muft in confequence bear a part of the expence, however it might fuit Gentlemen who bad other advantages befides their fortunes to look to.. He then moved, that the report fhould be taken into confideration on Monday fe'nnight, in order that there might be a more full attendance, and that Members might have an opportunity of confidering the fubject more minutely.

The Advocate General (Sir John Nicholl) obferved, that he had trufted the difcuflion of the preceding day, would have prevented his troubling the Houfe, that he fully agreed in the general, principle of ufing great caution, especially at times of preffure, in granting the public money; but the prefent occafion appeared highly proper and juft. Even as matter of legal right, he entertained a strong opinion, that Lord Hood would have been entitled to obtain the condemnation of the hips, &c. taken at Toulon. What were the tacts? Lord Hood appeared off that port with a British fleet-Toulon was part of the enemy's teritory. He had a right to capture, and poffibly would have captured the ships in queftion; the inhabitants offered to furrender them conditionally. With a due regard to the public interefts, he accepted the furrender: the condition was, that the hips fhould be held in truft for the Bourbon family, in cafe of its restoration, and till the end of the war. While the war continued the ships.could not properly be condemned; but when a peace was made, extinguishing the hope of restoring the houfe of Bourbon, by recognizing the new Government, of which the inhabitants of Toulon were become fubjects, the condition was at an end; the capture became abfolute. Potlibly the captors were, of legal right, entitled to the fhips as prize; but there might be reafons of public policy for not pushing the queftion to a decifion. Lord Hood was content to apply to the bounty of the Crown, and the liberality of Parliament. His claim was underflated, in being defcribed as an application to the liberality of the Houfe: it appeared to be a claim upon its juftice; for how did the matter ftand? The hips were acquired from the enemy. All property acquired in war, in the nature of booty, belongs either to the Crown itfelf, or to the captors as grants of the Crown, and not to the public. Thefe thips however had been applied to the ufe of the public; what then was the application that the captors fanctioned by the Crown, in whom alone the property vefted, fhould be paid by the public, who

bad